Donal Hickey: Battling for bat survival

Even though long summer evenings, when bats emerge at dusk to devour flying insects, are the best time to see them, many people associate bats more with this time of year.

This tradition probably dates back to the ancient pagan festival of Samhain, now Halloween, when people would gather around massive bonfires to ward off evil spirits. The bonfires drew huge numbers of flying insects which in turn attracted bats.